Turbine engine



July l6, 1943 E. F. osBoRNE 2,323,617

" TURBINE ENGINE Filed oct. 2, 1941 4 sheets-sheet 1 July 6, 1943. a F. osBoRNE TURBINE ENGINE Filed Oct. 2, 1941 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 j? sarzz By um Attorney atented July g6, 1943 TURBENE mWGINE Eugene F. Osborne, Peach Bottom, Pa.

Application October 2, 1941, Serial No. 413,351

1 Claim.

The present invention relates to new and useful improvements in engines of the Diesel type emfployingcompressed air and fuel adapted to be vmixed in the combustion chambers of the engine to produce an explonve charge and employing the use of turbine blades responsive to the action of the exploded charge of fuel for driving the shaft of the engine.

An important object of the lpresent invention is to provide novel valve control means for the fuel and air admitted into the combustion chambers and to which is operatively connected a rotary disk-type valve controlling the compression and exhaust of the exploded gases from the combustion chambers.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide a novel turbine blade construction adapted to improve the eillciency of the engine.

A still further obiectqis to provide an engine of this character'which may be constructed in a compact form, in which vibrations are eliminated, and which at the same time islsimple and practical in construction, relatively inexpensive to manufacture. and otherwise well adapted for the purposes for which the same is intended.

Qther objects and advantages reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference beinghadtotheeccompnyinsdrawingsforming part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout. and in which:

Figure 1 is an end elevational view with parts shown in section.

Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view through the engine.

Figure 3 is a transverse sectional view taken substantialiyonalinet-iofFigureZ Y Figure 4 is an end elevational view of the shaft with one ofthe sets of turbine blades secured thereto.

Figure ois a transverse sectional view taken substantiallyonalineB-Bofliisuren Figure 6 is a plan view of the compression and exhaust valves. Y

Figure 'l is a plan view of the blades at one end of the shaft for 'starting the engine.

Figure 8 is an enlarged end elevational view of the cylindrical rotary valve and engine starting blades. f

Figure 9 is a side elevational view thereof.

Figure 10 is a diagram showing the cross-sectional contour of the turbine blades-and disk valve. with parte of the engine head in section,

engine head and showing the fuel and air passages.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, wherein for the purpose of illustration I have disclosed a preferred embodiment of the invention, the numeral 6 designates the substantially conical casing of the engine having a head B secured at one end and an end plate 1 secured at its other end, the end plate l having the shaft 8 Journaled therein with one end of the shaft projecting longitudinally through the casing and terminating in the head 8 as shown to advantage in Figure 2 of the drawings. f

Formed on the inner walls of the casing 5 and projecting radially inwardly4 thereof are a plurality of stationary blades 9 arranged in longitudinally spaced relation and positioned between the.blades 9 are a plurality of rotary blades in projecting radially from sleeves I I secured to the shaft 8. n f

The head 8 isformed with a plurality of longitudinally elongated combustion chambers I2 arranged in spaced concentric relation with respect to the end of the shaft 8 and rotatably mounted on the inner end of the shaft in the head 6 is a rotary'valve I3 having longitudinally spaced recesses I4 and I5 formed in the outer surface of the valve. 'I'he recesses il form communicating passages for an interrupted fuel intake passage I'I while the recesses I5 provide communicating passages for an interrupted compressed air passage I8, both of said passages I8 and Il communicating with the combustion chambers i2. The outer ends of the passages I8 and Il com-1 municate respectively with chambers I8' and Il formed in a manifold i8, the chambers being sep.. arated by a partition I8', as shown to advantage in Figure 1. A pipe i3" connects the chamber I6' with a supply of compressed air and a fuel feed pipe Il" connects the chamber Il' with a suitable source of fuel supply (both not shown) to produce the explosive charge when mixed in the combustion chambers.

Secured to the inner end of thev rotary valve I3 is a disk-type valve 20 shown in detail in Fisure 6 of the drawings, the valve 20 being rotatable against the inner end of the head 3 for controll ling exhaust from the combustion chambers i2.

I degrees from the group of blades 2i are a pluy il is a fragmentary sectional view of the as vided with openings 23 at diametrically ODDOsite sides between the groups of blades 2| and 22 and imperforate portions 20'.

As more clearly illustrated in Figure 2 of the drawings, the disk valve 2i is spaced from the turbine blades to provide a chamber 24 with which the inner end of a spark plug 2B communicates. v

The inner end of the shaft 8 is formed with a plurality of blades 26 inclined at an angle oppositely with respect to a plurality of blades 21 formed on the inner end of a shaft 28 journaled in the end of the head 6. Between the blades 21 and the head 8 is formed a chamber 29 in which oil or similar fluid is adapted to be supplied by means of a feed pipe 30.

Surrounding the combustion chambers i2 is a water jacket 3| having intake and discharge pipes 32 and 23 connected thereto.

The end plate 1 is also spaced from the adjacent turbine blade to provide an exhaust chamber 34 with which an exhaust pipe 35 is con? nected.

In the operation of the engine, an electric starter motor (not shown) is employed to rotate I the shaft 28 to produce a fluid drive for operating the shaft 8 by means of the .blades 28 and 21. The blades 21, at their peripheral edges, are also attached to the rotary valve i3 so that the latter is also operated by the shaft 28 to admit fueland compressed air into the combustion chambers and into the chamber 24 where it is ignited by the spark plug 25. Following this initial operation of the engine, the motor employed for driving the shaft 28 is disconnected and the ignition for the spark plug 25 likewise is disconnected whereby the disk valve 20 will control the compression and firing of the fuel in the combustion chambers I2 in the manner of a Diesel type engine and admit the exhaust gases into the chamber 26 for operating the turbine blades and thus drive the shaft.

Four stages are necessary to completea cycle of operation in the combustion chambers i2. First, the rotary valve i3 admits compressed air -while the exhausting blades 22 of the valve 2U extract the spent gases; second, the valve it then admits fuel from thepassages I1, at this time the imperforate portion 20 of the disk valve 20 prevents the spent gases from returning to the combustion chamber and thus permits compression of the charge in .the chambers; third, both of the passages I l and i1 are closed by the valve Il while the intake blades 2| of the valve 2u further compress the fuel and air in the combustion chambers wgether with spent gases from the chamber 24; and fourth, the compressed charge is then fired at the time the open spaces 23 of the valve 20 pass across the chambers i2.

Aa shown to advantage in Figure 10, the stationary turbine blades 9 immediately adjacent the chamber 24 are inclined as shown at 9' to direct the exhaust gases against the inner curved faces of the next succeeding group of blades. The blades 9 and in are of crescent shape in cross-section with the blades 9 oppositely disposed with respect to the blades i0.

It is believed the details of construction and manner of use of the device will be readily under-` stood from the foregoing without further detailed explanation.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed is: i

An internal combustion turbine engine comprising a casing having a head thereon, a shaft `journaled in `the casing having turbine blades connected thereto. combustion chambers in the head having communication with the blades, valve means controlling intake of ani explosive charge to the chambers, valve means controlling discharge of gases therefrom, opposed blades on the shaft and valve cooperating to provide a fluid drive 'connection therebetween, and a starting drive shaft connected to the blades of the valve.

EUGENE F. QSBORNE. 

